


Stalking Jack The Ripper One-Shots

by city_of_fae



Category: Stalking Jack The Ripper
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 12:29:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16892637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/city_of_fae/pseuds/city_of_fae
Summary: Mini fics for Stalking Jack The Ripper, predominantly cressworth





	1. Magnificent Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Escaping From Houdini spoilers present!

Just knock, Audrey Rose, she thought to herself, standing in the middle of the hallway, far past a decent hour, her hand raised to knock on Thomas’ bedchambers. 

She needed to see him – needed to explain everything that had happened upon the Etruria. 

Clutching the rose-headed cane in her left hand, and right hand poised to knock, she was close to turning tail and speaking with Thomas in a more reasonable hour, when her thoughts were more collated. 

But her traitorous hand knocked away, and Thomas’ voice queried from the other side of the door, “Wadsworth?”

Of course he knew it was her. 

Standing in his room, with Thomas lying on his bed in his nightclothes, she had no idea what she was going to say. 

“Not that I don’t welcome any opportunity for to have you in my bedroom, but you’re looking rather peaky, Wadsworth.” He said, sitting up. 

She didn’t know what to say – why couldn’t she form the right sentences? This was Thomas, after-all. The boy she’d ran through the backstreets of London with, the boy who she’d nearly drowned with in the bowels of a castle in Romania. The boy she’d very nearly lost, and from her own doing. 

Her own fault; her deal with Mephistopheles had nearly killed him. 

“Audrey Rose?” His voice had lost his typical Cresswell charm, now bordering on concern. 

Liza’s words earlier that day rang through her mind. He cannot see through your mask. 

“Audrey Rose?” He repeated, striding towards her, clasping her hands within his own, and gently sitting down on his bed. 

“When I saw you on that stage, Andreas with a knife in his hand, aimed at you, I-” The words clogged in her throat, tears squeezing from her eyes against her will. So much for a handle on her emotions. All she could think of was the fear she felt in that moment, and her sheer willingness to do anything for her beloved. She would die for him; she would kill for him.

“Wadsworth, you don’t have to-”

“Yes,” She said, suddenly insistent. “Yes, I do, Thomas.”

She took a deep breath, and began again, “I would rather die than lose you, Thomas. I lost sight of who we are, and it nearly killed you.” Tears once again slipped down her face, and Thomas wiped them away with the mere brush of his finger. 

“I’m so sorry,” When she looked into his dark brown eyes that held her universe, and saw the remnants of the fear he’d felt, and the pain she’d put him through... she wanted to beg for forgiveness. 

“Do you remember when in the infirmary, and the cost of love I spoke of?” He nodded, and she remembered the fear that flooded through her when he’d left so abruptly. 

“Your love, Thomas, your love,” She whispered. He clutched her hands, and she lifted one of his to her mouth, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. “I don’t care if I have a limp for the rest of my life. I don’t care if I can never dance again. I love you with all my heart, all my being, and would take a thousand knives for you, just keep you safe.”

A single tear dripped from Thomas’ dark lashes, and her heart shattered seeing him in pain. 

He took a shuddering breath, and asked, “What about Mephistopheles?” 

“In another life, that Audrey Rose and Mephistopheles could’ve been great. But in this life, with this Audrey Rose – with you – I don’t want him. I don’t want that life.” It was the truth. Her confusion over Mephistopheles was less him, and more the life he led. The freedom he offered. But it was just as freeing living a life with Thomas, knowing he was the greatest thing to grace her presence, knowing their love was envied among the stars, and that they were forever. Eternal; immortal. 

“I want this life, with you. I want to live in your estate, share a laboratory with you. I want to be able to kiss you without fear of impropriety. I want to love you until we are nothing and the world has turned around the sun a thousand times. That is what I want, Thomas. Not Mephistopheles, not any other life than the one we have, together.”

She kissed his tears away, and pressed her forehead against his own. 

“You closed your eyes, Audrey Rose,” He said at last, his voice trembling in a way she’d never heard. “You closed your eyes, and I thought you’d never open them again. And it killed me.”

“I thought-” For the first time she’d since she’d met him, worlds away in her uncle’s laboratory, Thomas stumbled over his words, “I thought you were dead. I was going to kill Andreas, for hurting you. I was going to track down Death and do anything to bring you back. I would do anything for you, Audrey Rose. I would hunt down every last star in this universe and bring them home if that is what you wished.”

And he would, that she knew. They would go to the lengths of the universe for each other, and she had been a fool to even question it. 

“At Christmas, you told me I wasn’t yours to take, but mine to give.” She tilted his chin up with a nudge of her hand, their lips imperceptibly touching. “And if you’ll have me, Thomas Cresswell, then I give you my heart wholly.”

“I think I gave you my heart the moment I met you, with your hands inside that man’s chest cavity, quite insistent you could do it yourself.” A low laugh escaped his lips, causing her heart to swell with joy. 

“I love you, Thomas. I love you so thoroughly, so comprehensively. And I will love you until the years we have lived match the number of stars; infinite.” 

This was it. She had laid her heart out for him, feeling more naked than if she’d stripped in front of him. 

For a second, he didn’t reply, and true fear froze her heart. 

But then he smiled, and the world was righted again. “I love you, Audrey Rose. I have never known truer fear than when you closed your eyes in my arms, your blood on my hands. I would do anything for you, and I will. You are the singular greatest person I have ever had the privilege of meeting, my dearest Wadsworth. And I would be honoured to spend the rest of my life with you.”  
And when he closed the gap between them, their lips crashing together in a fury of released passion, their love and fears and heartbreak over the last week combining together in a whirlwind of emotions. 

She had once feared marriage would only serve to cage her, like her father had encased her in their golden cage of a home. 

But the life she saw ahead of her, with Thomas, was not the gilded cage she had feared. It was a life of freedom, of the liberation true love gave to the heart. 

Though parts of it scared her, parts still left uncertain, there was one thing she was sure of, more certain than she’d ever been.

That her life with Thomas Cresswell would be magnificent. 

And she couldn’t wait. 

So, she kissed him again, and their life together began.


	2. Kiss Me, My Ex Is Coming!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern, college au
> 
> Audrey Rose risks running into her ex, William Blackthorn, and does the only sensible thing in that situation.

She never should’ve gone to that damn party. It was a bad idea, she knew it, but she never could resist Liza’s pouty face. 

It was a Friday night, and truly, all Audrey Rose wanted to curl was curl up in bed with her book and read the night away. Not spend her night trying to avoid her ex-boyfriend, who for some reason, wouldn’t leave the party without seeing her. 

Her and William Blackthorn had been a short-lived couple. At first, he’d charmed her, but then his attitude began to annoy her, and soon, every little thing he did drove her up the wall, until the idea of never seeing him again seemed like paradise. 

Seeing his face whilst sober at a college party only a week after she’d finally let him down was not how she wanted her evening to go.

Liza was nowhere to be found – probably off with her boyfriend, Harry, a man who Audrey begrudgingly liked as he made her cousin smile – and there was no one to save her as the familiar blond head of William made its way over to her. 

So really, she had no choice. 

She simply found the most attractive person in her vicinity, and pounced on them.

“Quick, my ex is coming, kiss me!” She hissed to the boy of her choosing. Standing before her, looking slightly bewildered, was Thomas Cresswell, a boy from her forensics course. With his intelligent, dark brown eyes, and permanent cheeky smile, she really couldn’t say she was making a bad decision. 

“I knew you’d fall for me at some point, Wadsworth,” He grinned, setting down his drink. 

“Oh, I don’t have the time,” She shushed him. She spotted William from across the room, his stride purposeful and his gaze only on her. 

And so she grabbed Thomas Cresswell by the lapels of his jacket, and pulled his mouth to hers. 

His lips were intoxicating; the kiss a dance between two equals. Where he yielded, she pushed forwards, claiming his mouth with her own. 

A moan escaped her lips, and she could feel him hardening against her abdomen. 

She knew she should push away, to see if Blackthorn had finally left her alone... but Thomas’ lips were too inviting, and she badly wanted to run her hands over his chest, and claim more than just his mouth with her lips. 

One of his hands cupped her face, the other a steadying force on her back. A sinful, headstrong part of her wondered what his hands would feel like on other places. 

Gasping, they pulled apart, their chests heaving simultaneously. 

“My God, Wadsworth,” It seemed their kiss hadn’t sapped Thomas of his infuriating sass, though he looked a little windswept, his hair tousled from her running her hands through the dark mass. Repeatedly. “If I knew you were that good, I would’ve tried a lot harder to seduce you. Though, you must admit, I am pretty irresistible.” 

Looking over her shoulder, Audrey saw that William was nowhere in sight. Good, she thought, probably sulking. 

“Shut up and kiss me, Cresswell.” At her words, Thomas grinned, and she more than anything wanted to drag him upstairs into one of the unclaimed bedrooms and do unspeakable things to him. 

His eyes echoed the same. 

“Your wish is my command, Wadsworth,” He said, and lowered his mouth to hers. 

Neither of two were seen for the rest of that night.


	3. Winter Wonderland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas is... not the greatest at ice skating.

“Liza, I need your help.” 

Liza looked up from where she sat with Daciana, the two of them busy designing the menu for their Christmas Dinner. 

“What can I do for you, Thomas?” She shared a glance with his sister, the two of them wearing almost identical grins. Since Liza had arrived at the Cresswell’s home in Romania, she and Daciana had gotten along like they were sisters. Together, the pair of them with Ileana and Audrey Rose, they were an unstoppable force that Thomas was slightly afraid of. 

“Has Audrey ever been ice skating?” He asked. “I wanted to take her skating, because I know she’s getting a little restless, with her leg, and I thought maybe she’d like it?” 

He stopped himself before he started to ramble – he did not need Daciana teasing him anymore than she already did. 

Why was he even nervous? They were married, and yet Thomas still found himself wanting to impress her as much as he did when they’d first met. He remembered back in Jonathon Wadsworth classroom, when he’d first spotted her, writing furiously and wearing boys’ clothes. He’d had no idea how infatuated with her he’d soon grow to be, or how deeply his love for her would go. 

“Oh, I think that’s such a wonderful idea!” Liza smiled, and Daciana grinned beside her. 

“Thank you, dear Liza.” 

“Make her swoon, Cousin!” She called out after him as he left the room, mind already whirling with plans for his wife. 

***

Audrey Rose had no idea what Thomas had planned, but since it involved sitting in a carriage with him whilst they rose through the streets of Brasov, and carriages were oh-so small, she couldn’t really complain. 

“Where are you taking me, Thomas?” She asked, stealing a kiss in hopes he’d answer, but her husband merely smiled, and kissed her back, trying to distract her. 

“As much as I could kiss you all day, Cresswell, you can’t distract me with kisses. Where are we going?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, my love, because we’re here, so consider yourself officially distracted.”

If he wasn’t so damnably attractive when he smiled like that, she would’ve slapped him. 

The carriage rolled to a stop, and Audrey hopped out before Thomas could say a single word more. Leaning on her rose-topped cane, she stared out at the beautiful winter scenery surrounding them. The carriage had stopped by an ice-covered lake, which held a few people who gracefully glided over the surface, like swans of ice. 

“Oh,” The word slipped from her mouth like a sigh, drawn out by the stunning surroundings. 

“My mother used to take Daciana and I skating every Christmas at our country estate, and the rare holidays we were here made it just made it more special,” He offered by way of explanation, standing behind her, resting a hand on her waist, “Do you like it?”

She turned to him, a smile lighting up her whole face, “I adore it. But not as much as I adore you.”  
“You’re quite the romantic when you want to be, darling wife.”

“I have to be, if I want to keep you with you, Cresswell.” She leaned over to kiss him, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and pulling him closer, relishing in his little smile before she closed the distance between their mouths. She would never tire of this, kissing him and being kissed by him. 

At last they pulled apart, chests heaving as they did so, and their driver handed Thomas two pairs of skates. 

“Have you ever skated before?” She asked as she slipped on her skates, taking care with her leg. It didn’t hurt so much as it was awkward, but she’d skated plenty of times before, and figured she could managed. If needs be, she was fully ready to just hang onto Thomas. 

As she asked the question, her mind slipped back into the abyss of memories she fought so hard to contain. It had been Nathaniel who taught her to skate, sneaking her out around Christmas time to skate in the set-up area in Hyde Park, or to the lake at the back of their country estate. She remembered how she’d slipped and stumbled so often Nathaniel resorted to pulling her along as she laughed to her heart’s content. There had been one time, when their mother had caught them, and instead of dragging them back home as they’d feared she would, she’d simply laughed and joined them on the ice. Afterwards, she’d taken them home, wrapped them up in blankets and let them sip at heated spiced wine, and eat still-warm biscuits swiped from the kitchens. 

The memories sent a dull stabbing pain through her heart, and her eyes darkened. 

“We don’t have to if you don’t want,” A squeeze of her hands from Thomas sent her hurtling back to the present, and she batted aside pain that still lined her heart. 

At his thoughtfulness, the sheer care and love in his voice, she smiled, and whisked him onto the ice. 

And promptly burst into a fit of laughter as Thomas stumbled, flailing his arms like a wet bird trying to take flight.

“I thought you said you could skate?” She asked incredulously, hands over her mouth to stop the treacherous giggles escaping. To that, he scowled, and she couldn’t help it – the laughter just burst from her mouth, inciting an even greater scowl on his lovely face.

“Well, depends on your definition of ‘skating’, my dear.” He held out a hand, and she pulled him up, managing to keep her own balance as he clutched onto her like a lifeline.

“Did you really plan on taking me ice skating without even knowing if you could skate?” She laughed again, still holding him upright, raising an amused brow.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Audrey dear. I knew my skating ability, I just... hoped it had gotten better.” 

She pulled him along slowly, watching as he fought to get the hang of the unfamiliar movement, trying not to laugh at the sheer look on concentration of his face.

“How are you so graceful?” He complained, after the fifth time he’d nearly stumbled face first into the ice.

“Nathaniel used to take me ice skating every Christmas,” she said, her voice softening as she spoke. Holidays were always hard, after the death of her mother, but now Nathaniel was gone... She was lucky she had Thomas and Liza, and their families to help her through the difficult period. A year before she wouldn’t have mentioned it, fearing the pain she felt made her weak, made her unworthy of the science in which she so wished master, but now... now she knew her pain did not make her weak. 

Wordlessly, Thomas pulled her closer, until they stood facing each other on the ice, one hand resting on her back, the other on her cheek.

He did not need to say anything – she knew what he was thinking. She knew that he understood, with his mother, and that they would support each other through the trying times.

They stood there, not saying a word, just basking in the love between their two souls, coming together him perfect harmony.

Until Thomas slipped on nothing, sending them both sprawling to the ground in a spray of ice, curses flying from Thomas’ and joyful laughter from hers.


	4. A Conveniently Placed Table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conveniently placed table, a look, and two unchaperoned lovers

“What’s that look for?” Audrey asked Thomas, raising a groomed brow. He’d been staring at her, intently, she might add, for the last minute. Uncle had left the lab in search of one of his more specific tools - the ‘lab’ was makeshift, as they were no longer in London, but Chicago. Her uncle trusted them enough to leave them alone for a few minutes - indeed, he’d called Thomas ‘son’ the day before, and Audrey’d caught the look of sheer emotion in her love’s dark eyes - but if Thomas continued looking at her like that, she was very close to losing control and throwing that trust out the window. 

The edges of his lips quirked up, amusement flickering in his eyes. “I have no idea what look you’re referencing, Wadsworth.” Despite his words, his eyes never left her once. They scanned her face, undoubtably picking up on the more scandalous thoughts that rushed through her mind, before trailing down the bodice of her pale pink gown, and down again to the bottom of her skirts, then back to her eyes. 

She huffed, rolling her eyes in jest, and turned around, focusing her attention on the notes that lay spread on the table before her. She could still feel Thomas’ gaze on her, sending rivets of fire down her back. 

Footsteps echoed behind her, his arms snaking around her, pressed against the very table she faced, so as her back was against his chest. His warmth was intoxicating - she wanted nothing more than to bathe in it for eternity. His lips brushed the skin of her neck, her nerves prickling at the touch. 

“Thomas,” She whispered, having a hard time remembering the English language, “Uncle could walk in any minute.” 

“I say we have a least five minutes before he comes back.” As he spoke, he lifted a hand, slowly tracing the line of her jaw with a careful finger. 

“Why don’t we make good use of our unchaperoned time together and this conveniently placed table?” He leaned in closer, pressing his entire body to her back. 

“Thomas!” She turned around, a blush creeping up from underneath her collar and a smile breaking through her lips, though facing him was hardly better. He was a head taller than her, his breath ruffling her hair as he stared down, gaze focused on her. 

“Don’t act scandalised, my love, I know for a fact you were thinking about it.” His lips graced her cheek, and she leaned into the touch. 

“Oh?” The word was breathless as he placed a kiss to her neck. Her hands trailed up his back, fingers tracing the muscles of his back. He wasn’t wearing a coat, having removed it before they’d performed the autopsy and not put it back on afterwards, so the only barrier between her hands and his skin was the thin material of his shirt. How she wished even that were gone. 

“Am I wrong, love?” Their lips met in a soft yet needy dance, their hunger plain but their love plainer. 

“Shut up and kiss me, Cresswell.” She conceded, pulling him closer to her. She sat back on the table, hooking her legs around his waist, and delighted in how very close he was. 

He let out a groan that sounded like her name as she left kisses down the line of his jaw, letting her know he was just as affected by their position as she was.

She was almost ready to combust with want when familiar footsteps filled the lab, and the two lovers sprang apart, Audrey hoping she didn’t look as sex-addled as she felt. 

Uncle said nothing, though he almost definitely noticed the tension between the two. Audrey thought they’d escaped discovery when she glanced over at Thomas, and he- 

He was giving her that look again. 

Common sense was such a pitiful thing, and Audrey found herself never hating it more.


	5. The Tears of Thomas Cresswell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ESCAPING FROM HOUDINI SPOILERS
> 
> The climax of EFH from Thomas' POV

His curiosity had damned them, once again. 

He’d been so desperate to solve the mystery and, if he were honest to himself, prove himself to Audrey Rose. Yet it was that desire to unravel the mystery, the desire to know that had ruined them both. 

Andreas stood there, knife in hand, aimed straight at his heart. He hadn’t seen the man throw knives, but he’d heard he was training with Jian, the legendary sword thrower. Something on the murderer’s face told him he wouldn’t miss. 

He was going to die. He knew it – accepted it. 

He’d rather it was him than Audrey Rose. 

There was no way out; no amount of brass, Cresswell wit could get him out of this, no amount of Houdini-level skill that could save him now. 

The sounds of the diners behind them faded into nothing; in his final moments, the world consisted only of him and Audrey Rose. 

He locked eyes with her for the final time, and begged that she could see the love shining within in, that he loved her, adored her, would do anything including die for her. There were so many things they had never done, so many experiences yet to have had, but he hoped the strength of his love was conveyed through his eyes, and that final look. 

“No!” Cries and shouts went up as Andreas raised his knife, and Thomas prepared himself for death. 

In his mind’s eye, he saw the exact path of the knife. It would fly towards his chest with frightening accuracy, and pierce his heart. His medical knowledge told him he’d have perhaps 15 seconds of consciousness, and then his mind would slip into the easy, soothing darkness, and Thomas Cresswell would be no more. 

Only that wasn’t what happened. 

The world became a sharp blur as Audrey threw her scalpel towards the mirror, and as the glass shattered, his world did too. Of course – of course she’d throw her scalpel. 

His heart stopped as Audrey Rose – his darling, clever, no-sense-of-self-preservation Audrey Rose – threw herself in the path of the oncoming knife, and crashed into his arms. 

The world cleaved in two as a guttural scream left his love’s lips, and she cried as her leg surely burned with pain. 

“Wadsworth,” His voice was strained – no, no, no, this was a nightmare; this wasn’t real; this couldn’t be real – “stay here. Stay here with me.” 

Was that awful sobbing coming from him? He couldn’t tell. 

“I’m not... going... anywhere.” She said weakly, her eyes shining with pain but her face still determined, still ready to fight. 

His brain – his cursed, medical-run brain – told him she was dying. That nothing could save her. 

For once in his life, Thomas Cresswell denied logic its hold over his head. He would not let her die – she was not dying in his arms, not now, not ever.

“Don’t leave me,” She whispered, and he squeezed her hand lightly. He was vaguely aware of Jonathon Wadsworth swearing colourfully, and running over with his medical bag in hand, but his gaze was focused solely on her. His darling Audrey Rose. The woman who had taken a knife for him. 

“Never,” He swore, tears stinging his eyes as they rolled down his face. He would never leave, that was not allowed. There was no world in which Thomas Cresswell lived that Audrey Rose Wadsworth did not; no world worth saving, worth living in. 

She was dying. He knew it – hated that he knew it. 

“We need to put pressure on the wound, stop the blood loss!” He yelled to the elder Wadsworth, whose face was a mask of medical precision, as it always was. 

Audrey’s eyes were glazing over, the light slowly slipping from her gaze, and he swore – so foul a words he didn’t think he’d ever said before, and he had quite the foul mouth. 

No – he would not let it happen. 

The wound of her thigh was vicious, blood staining his hands as he fought to contain the blood loss, to save her, to do anything other than letting her die in his arms. 

Don’t you dare die on me now, Wadsworth. 

They’d stalked the Ripper; they’d hunted Prince Dracula, but in the end, it was a simple knife that would separate the team of dreams. A simple knife that ruined what could’ve been, that beautiful life they would’ve lived. 

He pushed harder on her wound, and with a pain that shattered Thomas’ glass heart, she screamed, her back arching in attempt to stop the ache that surely flooded through her. 

He was sobbing now, his tears dripping onto her face, as he begged someone, anyone to save her, to end her pain and bring her back. 

“Please,” The tears of Thomas Cresswell were never-ending, never-ceasing, as long as the love of his life was in pain. 

“Thomas,” She whispered, and she closed her eyes. 

The scream that tore from his mouth could’ve ruined worlds.


	6. A Wedding Night To Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE WEDDING NIGHT SMUT FIC, FINALLY PLEASE ENJOY xx

Their wedding was a bustle of activity, from gown fittings, to deciding what music, what flowers, seating plans, and everything; truly it was a miracle she and Thomas hadn’t already eloped. All the hassle, however, had been worth it to see the look on Thomas’ face as she walked down the aisle. 

With her dress of white trimmed with gold lace, he thought - and he’d told her - she looked like an angel. He looked stunning, so handsome she thought she could die. When tears fell from his eyes, and he smiled at her, so wide, so radiant that she thought the sun truly was shining down on her, in the form of her beloved; she knew their love was worthy of the stars. The world narrowed down until it was nothing but her and Thomas, and the love they held between them; a rope, a lifeline between the two of them. 

Their wedding was spectacular, but their wedding night… their wedding night was magnificent. As soon as they shut the door to his - no, their - bedroom Audrey turned to her husband and let out a smile. 

He loved all her smiles, but this was his favourite; wild and unrestrained. He grinned back, taking her in his arms, pushing her hair back from her face, kissing her ever so softly, a prelude to the beautiful dance that was yet to come.

“I adore you, Wadsworth.” He whispered against the soft skin of her neck, and she laughed, a strong, wonderful thing that lit up his insides like oil to flame.

“Not Wadsworth,” She corrected, lifting his chin to gaze into his eyes, “Cresswell.”

His own eyes widened, and he let out an unrestrained laugh of his own.

“Indeed, my love.”

His words sparked a hunger in her, a gnawing fire beginning in her abdomen and spreading outwards; she wanted him to touch her everywhere, anything to relieve the fire that grew within her. She slid her hands over his chest, up to his broad shoulders and underneath his jacket, throwing the luxurious item to floor.

“Eager, are we, Mrs Cresswell? Future Lady Cresswell?”

That wild smile resurfaced, and a similar burn rose within him, and he kissed her languidly, stringing a soft moan from her lips.

He wanted nothing more than to wheedle those sounds from her until they were both nothing but sweating bodies heaped upon a bed.

She made short work of his tie, throwing it to the floor. Next to go was his shirt. 

Her hands trembled, ever so slightly, but enough for Thomas to notice. 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want, my love.”

At that, she smiled, “I want all of you.” 

It was his turn to grin, and his hands turned to her clothing.

His lips were incredible, that she knew; but dear god, his hands. They trailed over her skin, each place they touched starting an uncontrollable fire.

Audrey really didn’t know how she’d managed to keep herself together in the months they’d been unofficially, and then officially, courting. She remembered how they’d kissed on her bed on the Etruria, their passion restrained by the rules of their society.

But now, they were free.

Freedom was a word she’d never known. A word denied to her simply for her gender, her status in life. Once, she’d thought freedom lay in a land far away, on a boat where magic and illusions reigned over logic and truth. Perhaps that was freedom for some, but not her.

This was freedom. Her own personal freedom. Thomas would never chain her, never hold her down. If she wanted, he would let her go, but that wasn’t what she wanted; not now, not ever. 

Each touch; kiss; caress unbound her. As her clothing dropped to the floor, so did the chains of society. 

His hands snaked down her bodice, and he spun her around, hands resting at her waist. Torturously slowly, Thomas untied her skirts, the silk rustling as it dropped to the ground in a heap, and she stepped out of its large bulk. Her bustle was next, until she stood there in her chemise, drawers and corset. She waited for him to unlace her corset, when a confused “hm” issued from her husband. 

“Surprising, I know, but I cannot seem to work out how to... remove you.” His voice was tinged with rare embarrassment, and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips.

“The great Thomas Cresswell, defeated by a corset.” She laughed at the idea; together they’d defeated impossible odds, and she’d watched him deduce impossible facts, but it was a corset that stumped him.

“Defeated by you, Audrey Rose. Only ever you.” He whispered against her neck, and she shuddered, “Well, and by spiders, but I’ve got you to save me from those.”

“Your saviour” she smiled, sliding her hands down his chest, down and down and down.

“Always, my darling starlit flower.”

“You’re a sap, Cresswell.”

“I’ve been told it’s one of my many charms. That and my rather large-”

She silenced his mouth with a kiss, her hands drifting down to his trousers, as she unbuckled then, watching with an unrivalled hunger as he stood before her in nothing but his underwear. 

Oh, she was going to devour him. 

“I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

She pushed him into the bed, marvelling at the grin that lit up his face. God, he was so beautiful. So magnificent, and hers. He had given her his heart long ago, and she had gladly handed him the keys to hers. He was hers, and she was his. 

“Impatient,” he purred, his eyes full of promise.

But as she slid her hand down his chest to rest on the bulge of his pants, she thought it was he who was the impatient one.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Audrey Rose.” He groaned as she removed her hand, ghosting her lips down his neck and chest. She wanted to touch everywhere, with her lips, her fingers.

Unlacing her own corset, she pulled it away, and marvelled at how Thomas fumbled with her drawers and chemise. He was so sure of himself when in public, but when it was just the two of them… she rejoiced in the vulnerability she and only she saw in his dark eyes.

She straddled him, bare as the day she was born. She should have felt embarrassed, but she did not. The way he stared at her - she was proud. He looked at her like she was a star come to earth, like she was so incredibly beautiful.

His eyes explored every part of her, from the gentle slope of her breasts to the scar on her thigh from the Etruria; he saw everything, and when he had, he smiled.

“You...” Thomas breathed, for once lost for words, “You are heavenly.”

His hand drifted out to cup her cheek, and she kissed his palm. She saw the hesitancy in his eyes as his hand drifted down, tracing her collarbone, stopping just above the curve of her breasts.

“May I?” He bit his lip, giving her every chance to say no, to stop it, not to do anything she didn’t want to do.

He would never force her, never. And she knew it.

So she smiled a devil’s smile, and whispered, “Touch me, Thomas.” 

Their mouths collided in a fury of passion, and Audrey delighted in the moan she pulled from him.

With steady hands, she removed his pants, unable to stop her eyes widening at the sight of him, her mouth drying as she stared.

His hands roamed everywhere, each place they touched burning, his lips leaving a trail of fire down her jaw and neck, heading down to her breasts.

He gently pushed her down to the bed, laying her out before him, his own personal feast. 

Her hands ached to touch him; to feel, taste, all of him, but he was taking his sweet time exploring her. 

“Thomas,” she breathed, as he sucked on her nipple, his name a prayer on her lips – a prayer that he wouldn’t stop his mouth’s wondrous path down her body.

She felt him tense above her, the tell-tale sign of his attraction brushing against her thigh. His mouth switched to her other nipple, and she was unable to restrain the moan that fell from her lips, loud against the otherwise quiet of the room.

A blush coloured her cheeks at the sound - she’d never imagined such a sound could come from her lips. 

But Thomas didn’t seem to mind, indeed, he lifted his head to meet her eyes, with a wild grin and eyes full of lustful promise. 

“That, my love, was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.” His smile told her he wanted - that he was going to - hear it again and again and again, especially with what he had planned for her. His kisses resumed, his teeth grazing the skin of her stomach as they travelled their heavenly path down her skin.

Her breathing grew heavier, and she nearly combusted at the sight of his head at her thighs. Lifting her legs over his shoulders, he shot her a grin she could only describe as ‘sinful’ before all conscious thought left her mind.

The first stroke of his tongue inside her set her body on fire. 

There was no feeling that could compare. Of course, she’d heard about how it felt, from married friends and things Liza had managed to wheedle out of the ‘post-spirits’ Aunt Amelia, so she’d known what to expect - had dreamed about it, multiple times. But nothing could’ve truly prepared her.

“I have wanted to do this for months,” He lifted his face to say for a single moment to speak, before resuming the careful strokes of his tongue, the pleasure building steadily. 

All she could think was thank god Thomas had sent most of the servants away. Otherwise, she was sure they would’ve heard the gasps she made, the moans and hisses at each moment of contact with Thomas’ mouth. His tongue swirled around her knot, her back arching on instinct, one hand fisted in his hair, the other holding hand. 

“Thomas,” She breathed, her thoughts now containing his name and his name only, “Please.”

A shudder wracked through her body as his fingers replaced where his tongue had previously been, retracing those careful licks with steady pumps, trying to desperately alleviate the pleasurable ache that pooled in her abdomen. 

“Since you asked nicely, my love.” Desire thick in his voice, and the pace increased, until she was near sobbing as her climax ripped through her, coming with his name on her lips and fingers inside her. 

“That’s my wife,” Thomas whispered as he kissed up her stomach, tongue flicking her nipple, moving so he was cradling her as the pleasure wave in which she rode died down, and she fell back down to earth. 

“Your wife,” She murmured, turning her head to face him, eyes heavy-lidded. Her hand reached out to stroke his face, tracing the sharp lines of his cheekbones and jaws, and the softness of his lips. 

Swinging her leg over so she was straddling him, she kissed him deeply, their tongues engaging in a dance; both yielding and defying, fast and slow, hard and soft. 

She kissed down his stomach, sucking and nipping at his skin. She remembered in Romania, how she’d dreamed of what it would be like to share a bed with him, feeling his body on and in hers, to run her hands over his bare skin. Even her dreams could not compare to this. 

His hands ghosted over her shoulders, fingertips trailing over the marks left by his lips. 

“You don’t have t-” She cut him off by running her hand down the length of his cock, relishing in the hiss that escaped from his lips at the contact. His hands went straight to her hair, ebony strands wrapping around his fingers as he fought not to shout. 

“I have wanted to do this for months,” She said, echoing his earlier words, and took his cock in her mouth. 

He swore, and a laugh bubbled from her lips at the sound. It was nice to know that while he had the ability to tear her apart with a single stroke of his tongue, or pump of his fingers, she too could unravel him with a single lick. 

“Audrey,” Never before had her name sounded so much like a plea. She found she rather enjoyed it. 

Looking up at him, as his hands were fisted in her hair, eyes glazed with desire, she decided he’d never been more beautiful than when he moaned her name. 

“Audrey,” He whispered again, her name sounding like a sin and a curse and a prayer all at once.

“I’m going to-” 

“Not yet,” She gave his length one final lick before taking his hand and pulling herself up until they were sat facing each other, his cock hovering at his entrance, waiting for her to me. 

She pulled him closer, and he slipped inside her, eyes focused on her face for any sign of pain. Throwing her head back, a moan erupted from her lips as he filled her, marvelling at how well his body fit with hers. He was so beautiful, so hers, even the mere feeling of him inside her was enough to set her skin on fire. Gazing down at their union, she wondered if two people had ever been so well-matched as they. 

“I love you,” He whispered, as he thrusted once, pausing for a second to allow her to adjust to the size of him. 

“More,” She practically begged, her nails raking down his back as she wrapped her legs around her, pulling him closer to her, if possible. She wanted to feel all of him; every single inch. 

He buried his head in her shoulder, kissing the sensitive skin there, murmuring sweet nothings. 

Picking up the pace, she cried out as he thrusted again and again and again, their moans mingling in the air, until release swept through her and she came with her lips pressed to the skin of his chest.

Her shout of pleasure pushed him over, and he cried her name as he climaxed, his seed spilling into her. 

They stayed like that, chests heaving from effort, Thomas still inside her, holding onto each other like a lifeline. 

“I love you.” She said, kissing his jaw. 

“I love you, too.” He slipped out of her, tugging them both down to the bed, stroking her hair as she laid her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. 

Her mind was swirling with ideas of how she wanted to have him, taste him. And, oh, there were so many ways. 

He kissed her head, and she looked up at him, once again flashing him that wild smile. 

“My beautiful wife,” he said, hands running gentle circles across her bare skin. 

“My darling husband.”

***

The next morning Audrey awoke curled in her husband’s arms, his breath slowly stirring her hair, her head tucked next to his chest. Her body ached pleasantly from last night, her cheeks blushing as she remembered what they’d done – and how many times they’d done it. 

Gazing up at him, her heart felt close to burst. This would be her morning every day for the rest of her life. 

Quite frankly, she couldn’t wait.


	7. There Was Only One Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An engaged Audrey Rose and Thomas find themselves stuck at a hotel during a snow storm, with only one bed between them...

Audrey Rose Wadsworth had not expected to end her day sharing a bed with her betrothed, Thomas Cresswell. She wasn’t complaining – they hadn’t had an opportunity like this… well, ever, and it was one she would not take lightly. 

It was December 1889, and the pair were travelling to Brașov, to visit Thomas’ family for the holiday period, when the snow storm had gotten so bad it was unsafe to travel, meaning they’d have to take shelter at a hotel. Their plan had been to make the trip from Budapest to Brașov in a day, so they wouldn’t have to stop anywhere overnight and risk the scandal if they were discovered to be unmarried, but with the weather, that plan was suddenly useless. 

Grabbing Thomas’ hand, she marched straight into the hotel lobby, ignoring the tingles as they held hands. They’d been engaged since spring, and she relished in the freedom her engagement brought her – though they were still unable to do the things they truly wished, a chaste kiss or hand hold was not as image-ruining as before. 

“Hello?” She called out in her shoddy attempt at Romanian. She’d improved since Bran Castle but her pronunciation was nowhere near Thomas’ level of flawlessness. 

“Ah, stuck from the storm?” The receptionist - female, Audrey was surprised to see – gave them a once-over, her gaze lingering annoyingly on Thomas, long enough to send her blood boiling. 

“My husband and I would like to enquire about a room for the night,” She stressed the word husband, clasping Thomas’ hand tighter, lest he say anything that might ruin their cover. Her husband sent her a surprised look, and she elbowed him in the side to keep him quiet. 

The receptionist’s gaze slipped back to Audrey, thankfully. She didn’t want to think what she’d have done if otherwise, “Of course…” she trailed off, leaving them to fill in their names. 

“Lord and Lady Cresswell,” Thomas chimed in at last, finally finding his voice. 

“My apologies, sir. Your room is number 13, on level two, first door to your right.”

They walked in silence until Thomas nudged her with his elbow, and without even looking at him she knew he was grinning that insufferable grin, “Husband, hmm? I didn’t realise you were so impatient to get married?” 

“Oh, hush now, I was merely thinking fast, Cresswell. Don’t get into a twist about it.”

The room – their room, she realised with a start – was plain but cosy, and neither of them were really in a position to complain, not that that had ever stopped Thomas. 

Shutting the door behind them, she grinned up at her fiancé. Societal rules told her she should be blushing at the thought of sharing a bed with a man not yet her husband, but when had she ever listened to rules? She cast all thoughts of what was proper, what was right, what was the behaviour of a decent girl to the back of her mind, instead thinking of what it would be like to wake up in his arms. 

Wanting Thomas like this – she didn’t care if it damned her. She would damn herself and all the world for the man who held her heart. 

“I must say, I do like it when you call me husband.” 

“You better get used to it, Cresswell.” She said, hands clasping the lapels of his jacket and pulling his mouth to hers. No matter how many times they kissed, she would never tire of the rhythm of lips, of the sound he made deep in his throat when they kissed, or the feel of his hands roaming across her skin.

Her hands gravitated to his shoulders, trying to pull his coat from him, when he pulled away with a murmured. “one moment.”

He reached out, pulling the pins from her hair, watching as her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders. Though he’d seen her with her hair down before, when they’d kissed last year in her room in Romania, she felt oddly vulnerable. 

She’d seen him at his worst – terrified for her safety in London, and later in Bran Castle, and so had he, when she was crying and screaming in pain aboard the Etruria. 

When she was younger, that sort of vulnerability scared her – how could you live knowing one person had all the keys to tear you apart? – but with Thomas, she found, as she stared into the dark eyes of her beloved, she did not mind. Not one bit. 

“This is my favourite look of yours, my dove,” He kissed her cheek, trailing his mouth down the soft skin of her neck, his fingers pushing down the fabric of her collar to allow further access. 

She could barely say more than, “hmm?”

“Naturally you look stunning whatever, but this, with your hair down, relaxed... if I didn’t already love you more than the stars itself, I would immediately.”

Her heart swelled with such love she thought she could burst. 

“Such a romantic, my love.”

“Anything for you, the conqueror of my heart.” He kissed her suddenly, picking her up by the waist and spinning her around until a squeal left her lips.

“I love you,” He whispered as he kissed her, his tone so full of love she could’ve cried. He put her down, though he didn’t retract his arms, and she stayed in his embrace, leaning her head against his chest. 

“I love you, too.”

“I cannot wait until I get to wake up with you every morning,” He said softly, pressing his lips to her forehead. 

It was times like this, the quiet moments where the world consisted of just them and their love, that she was struck by how different he truly was to the façade he showed the rest of the world. She adored his smart remarks, of course she did, but this Thomas – the sweet boy who loved her with his whole heart, the softness only she got to see – was the Thomas she’d fallen in love with. 

She loved every part of him, but like he’d said mere minutes before, this was her favourite part.

He was only like with her, and she treasured each moment as if they were worth more than gold. And to her, they were. 

“Come to bed,” She said.

His smile was answer enough. 

***

Audrey usually prided herself on her ability to function without a lady’s maid – after-all, she had survived for a month in Romania, in which the only person to do her hair was herself, and she hadn’t done too bad of a job, had she? At any rate, Thomas hadn’t noticed, which she thought was quite an achievement. 

It seemed she’d grown accustomed to the highborn life, which wasn’t a bad thing, so to speak, but now when trapped in hotel room with only Thomas and herself... needless to say, her hair looked less ‘braided’ and more like she’d run through a room full of bats, a look she was quite familiar with.

“Audrey, darling, have you fallen into the bath?” Her fiancé’s voice sounded from the other side of the door, soundly more amused than he had any right to be. “You know I’d be quite happy to help you out. Whatever that may entail.”

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t deny the appeal the thought of bathing with him brought. She imagined his arms around her naked body, him kissing her neck as they relaxed in the hot water, nothing separating their bodies but their love. 

“Either you have fallen in or you’re so taken by the thought of my naked form in the bath that you’ve promptly collapsed, in which case I will simply have to come rescue you. Do make yourself decent, my love, or I think I might collapse.” 

“Oh, hush, Cresswell.” She shot back, her cheeks heating. “I’m simply braiding my hair, no need to get your drawers in a twist.” She could practically hear his dirty reply, and quickly said, “and if you make a joke about my thinking of your drawers, I will throw you from a window.”

“And who would ravish you so thoroughly if you did?” 

She pushed open the door, hands in her hair, still attempting the braid, and gave Thomas a look she best described as “are you done?”. 

Her fiancé was sitting in bed, book in hand and already dressed in his night clothes. Though she’d seen in before in so little, the sight of him in their bed was enough to set her heart racing, if the earlier thoughts about his body hadn’t already done so. 

“Let me,” He said, patting the space between his legs. 

She raised a brow, “Braid my hair?”

“Yes, Wadsworth, are you forgetting I have a sister?” 

Walking over to him, she settled herself in his lap, her nightgown pulling up as she crossed her legs, leaning forwards slightly so he had access to her hair. 

“Perhaps I should braid your hair every night,” He whispered, his hands working deftly with her ebony locks, managing to be fair more gentle with her than her lady’s maid. 

“Are you just saying that so you have an excuse to get me into your bed?” 

His chuckle reverberated through her back, and he pressed a light kiss to her shoulder in response.   
“I don’t need an excuse to get you into my bed, my darling.” 

“Scoundrel.”

“And you adore me.” He said, tying the ribbon she’d given him previously into her hair, flicking the braid over her shoulder and pulling her down so she was lying against his chest, his arms around her waist. 

“Against my better judgement, yes, I do.” She turned her face to kiss him, a gasp escaping her mouth as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth. Though they’d kissed hundreds of times before, both before their official engagement and after, it was one art she would never tire of, and would always long to perfect. 

And as they say, practice does make perfect – Thomas proved himself to be more than a worthy partner. 

“Magnificent,” He whispered against her mouth, his fingers pushing down the hem of her nightgown, tracing her collarbone with a gentleness that made her heart ache with love, “You are magnificent.”

“And yours.” She murmured, titling her head back as his lips explored the soft skin of her neck, “Magnificent and yours.”

His hands drifted down to her thighs, slipping under her nightgown. He traced the scar on her thigh, so gently, with so much love she thought she could burst. 

“We can’t- we can’t go all the way,” He said, though his touch made her think – and want – otherwise. They weren’t married, not yet, anyway, and while she didn’t care too much for society’s rules, the risk of pregnancy was far too great. 

“There are other things we can do, my love.” She ran her hands through his hair, smiling as chuckle echoed through his chest, feeling the vibrations through her back. 

“And you say I’m the scoundrel.”

Laughing, she sank deeper into his embrace, tilting her head so she could kiss his jaw. His hands trailed further and further up her thighs, and he gently pushed her legs apart. Her nightgown was bunched around her waist, still covering the apex of her thighs. 

Thomas hesitated, “May I, my love?” 

“Please.” Her voice trembled, but with excitement, not fear. 

“Wait,” He said, tapping on her shoulder, indicating he wanted her to turn around.

She positioned herself so that she was straddling him, feeling herself growing more excited at the thought of what was to come. His eyes darkened as he surveyed her; the straps of her nightgown had fallen down, exposing more of her chest than usual, though Thomas’ expression told her he didn’t mind one bit. 

“I want to see your face,” He grinned, sending a hot flash through her body, “when I make you come, my dearest.”

She could barely breathe, let alone think.

Saints. 

A blush spread up her body, staining her cheeks. He really was determined to kill her. Though she couldn’t say the thoughts that flooded her mind were any more innocent.

Wanton images breezed through her mind – Thomas naked, kissing every inch of her, her taking him in her mouth, tasting him. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured as he kissed her. “So, so beautiful.” 

He was always complimenting her, whether it was about how the shade of her dress complimented her skin, or how ‘devilishly handsome’ she looked with her arms in the chest of a cadaver. At first, she’d thought they were all meaningless flirtations, all in jest, but as she grew deeper and deeper in love with him, she realised they were all real, that that was how he saw her, what he thought of her. 

“God, I love you.” There was no limit to her love; if his love was measured by the stars, limitless in their amount, there hers was the universe itself; vast and boundless. It had scared her at first, but now she’d fallen far into the abyss of their union, and nothing could better the feeling of loving Thomas, and knowing that he loved her so much in return. 

“I love you, too,” When he looked her that like, with his eyes gleaming with emotion... saints, was it possible to love someone so much you died from it? 

A sudden brazen boldness flooded through her, and she wanted nothing to more than to kiss him until neither of them could speak. 

“This,” She unbuttoned his nightshirt, taking in his bare chest. She remembered back in Romania, gazing at his wet form, wondering what it would be like explore that expanse of skin with her mouth, “needs to come off.”

There had been so many times throughout their courtship when she’d thought about what it would be like to lie with him, to hear her name as a moan from his lips, to feel every inch of him and know what he felt like inside her. Though they couldn’t go all the way, not yet – that spectacular event they were saving for their wedding night – it certainly was not the only fun to be had. 

“Well, if I’m shirtless, my darling, I suppose it’s only fair if you are too,” His eyes shone with that irresistible Cresswell charm, and he smirked in a way that set her body on fire. 

With gentle hands, he pulled the fabric from her body until it fell in a heap around her waist. They sat there, both shirtless, their gazes so full of love. 

“Stunning.” He breathed, eyes wide. 

“You’re beautiful.” And hers. 

Tauntingly slow, Thomas leaned in, kissing her softly. Their love was a song around them, the beautiful melody leaping and soaring with each touch until it resided among the stars once more. 

“I love you,” He murmured against her skin. His lips trailed down her neck, sucking and nipping, no doubt causing creates marks she would look on later with love, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

One hand palmed her breast, the other rubbing gentle circles into the skin of her thigh. She wanted to feel his touch everywhere; wanted to touch him everywhere. 

With a look that could’ve ignited worlds with the heat it contained, Thomas pushed her to the bed, and slowly slid the nightgown down her body, baring her before him. 

When he smiled at her, she could’ve shattered worlds. Just to see it once more. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, oddly polite considering the position they were currently in – Thomas leaning over her, shirtless, wearing his undergarments and nothing else whilst she was splayed on the bed, completely naked. 

“Please.” The word was breathless, a desperate pant. 

He nudged her knees apart, and kneeled in between her legs. His grin – oh, his grin – ruined her. She could see the outline of his hard cock through the fabric of his underwear, and the thought that he wanted her just as much as she wanted her sent rivets of pleasure through her, as well as ideas as to what exactly she’d do when it was him splayed on the bed before. 

He kissed up her thighs, his lips stringing moans of pleasure from her lips; moans so loud and lustful she didn’t even realise she could make them. 

“I love it when you make those sounds,” He murmured against her skin, his tongue flicking her against in ways that drove her mad. She so badly wanted his tongue in other places, licking at her until she screamed. 

“Thomas,” she breathed, hands fisted in his hair. If he kept teasing her like that...

He placed a soft kiss just above where she wanted it, the touch intoxicating; his kisses were her favourite drug, and she would gladly die from it. 

His mouth ravished her first - a single lick along her folds forcing a gasp from her lips, a moan in the shape of his name. 

“Thomas,” her grip guided his mouth to the spot she so desired. 

“I love it when you say my name,” His lips brushed against the soft skin of her thighs as he looked up. The sight of his face, his mouth wet with her juices, just above the apex of her thighs was nearly enough to make her climax on the spot. 

His tongue entered her, and she gasped at the sensation. She’d though merely kissing him was enough... this was something else. 

There weren’t enough words to describe how he felt; to describe the havoc he wreaked upon her body, though his every movement was gentle, and he constantly checked everything he did, and everywhere he touched, was alright by her. And by god, was it more than alright. 

She cried out as his tongue swirled around her knot, the sensation heavenly and damning at the same time. 

He brushed a finger through her folds as his tongue worked at her, and she practically sobbed as his fingers and mouth worked in unison, drawing pleasure so intense she could’ve passed out. 

Her language consisted only of Thomas’ name – truly, it was the only thing she could remember. The world contained only her and Thomas, and the breath-taking pleasure she was receiving, and would soon give. 

A single finger slipped inside her, the pumping motion of his hands truly killing her. He picked up the pace as she gasped in satisfaction, adding a second finger to the mix. His tongue continued to work miracles, and she could feel how close she was to climax. 

She came with a cry of his name as he added a third finger into her, pumping faster than before, his tongue racking her with pleasure until she fell over the edge of her climax. 

He held her throughout, only removing his fingers once she’d settled, and thoughts began to form in her mind once more. 

“You taste divine, mon amour,” Licking his fingers, her juices clear on his tongue, he let out a groan, running his tongue over his lips. 

He laid down next to her, kissing her sweetly, so far removed from the hard and fast sex they’d just had. 

Boldness surged within her, and she voiced the thoughts she’d been thinking for a long time. 

“When you have me, Thomas, in what way will you take me?” She asked, stroking gentle circles into his soft skin. 

“What do you mean, my love?”

“I mean,” She smiled, her eyes holding a devil-like gleam, “will you take me on a bed?” Her mouth twitched, and it was an effort to resume her innocent expression. “Or will you take me in the bath? Or better yet, the wall?”

His expression was worth it. 

“We have time for every way,” Thomas kissed her neck, his tongue flicking against her skin, still hot from the effort of their previous activities. 

“It’s a rather long list,” She laughed, pushing him down to the bed so she was straddling him, and pinned his arms above his head. 

For a moment she stopped, and looked down at him. His body, naked from the waist up underneath hers, his skin hot with sweat, his lips still wet with her juices after she’d climaxed with his head between her thighs. 

Leaning down, she licked his lips, tasting herself on them. The thought of her on his lips was nearly enough to make her climax again, though he was barely touching her. 

He grinned, the smile a thing of lust and love intermingled freely with one another. 

She tugged down his pants, and his cock sprang free, stiff with wanting. Her eyes widened, mouth open slightly. 

“It’s... it’s larger than I expected.” She gazed up at him, registering the shock on his face, followed by a sly smirk.

“Are you telling me you’ve thought about my size before, Wadsworth?”

If he expected her to say no, he was sadly mistaken. 

“Yes.” She had, more times than was decent, not that her thoughts surrounding Thomas could ever be construed as ‘decent’. 

This time, his eyes widened, the lust they contained setting her on fire.

“I’ve also thought about this,” She said as she kissed down his abs. Where her sudden boldness had come from, she didn’t know, but the way Thomas moaned at the touch gave her fresh incentive to carry on. 

“And this,” – a kiss to his lower stomach – “and this” – another kiss, lower, just above the v-shape of his hips – “and this” – she placed her lips on the head of his cock, glancing up for permission to continue.

“Please.” The word was barely above a whisper, the sound itself breathy with lust. 

She took his cock in her mouth, her hands around the parts that couldn’t fit. A laughed escaped her lips as he groaned, the sound vibrating around him. 

Licking and sucking, each movement inciting moans from Thomas – his normally rigid composure when in public melted away as soon as they were alone, and vanished from all thought when she touched him. 

“Audrey Rose,” His hands slipped into her hair, fingers wrapping around her ebony curls. 

He was close, she could tell from the way he moaned, and the way he tasted in her mouth. Even in her most indecent dreams, she’d never thought he would taste so perfect, or that she’d crave him more than she already did.

“Audrey Rose!” He cried out her name as he came full in her mouth, his taste filling her. Looking up at him, a devilish gleam to her emerald eyes, she swallowed, watching as he noted the bob of her throat. She licked her lips, treasuring his taste on her mouth, and crawled up the bed so she was lying next to him, skin on skin. 

It seemed Thomas had forgotten how to speak as he laid there, his hands pulling her closer, his chest heaving with effort as he came down from his pleasure-induced high. 

“Satisfied, my love?” She asked, placing soft, open-mouthed kisses on his neck and chest. 

“Mmm,” Was all he could say, the sound vibrating along her body. 

“Magnificent,” He murmured. He tipped her chin up with deft fingers, their lips colliding instantly. Slipping her tongue into his mouth, she gasped, already feeling the heat coil in her stomach, her desire blooming once more. 

“About that list...” She didn’t move her lips away from his, the words brushing against his mouth like a secret only he could ever hear. 

“How about making a start? It’s rather extensive, darling.” 

When he grinned at her, she remembered how beautiful his head looked in between her thighs, the taste of her clear on his lips. 

“I love the way you think, mon amour.” 

***

The next morning, Audrey Rose awoke with her head nestled in the crook of her fiancé’s neck, his arms wrapped around her, and his breathing slowly rustling her hair. 

This was heaven, she decided. Curled up in the arms of the man she loved, her body pleasantly sore from the pleasure he’d given her only hours ago – yes, this was heaven. 

Thomas groaned, holding her tighter as he opened his eyes, his hair adorably mussed from sleep. 

“Good morning.” She whispered, placing a soft kiss under his jaw. 

With a voice husky from sleep, he murmured, “Good morning, my love.”

“Last night was... magnificent.” 

At that, he smiled, so widely and brilliantly she would’ve burned down the world to see it again. 

“I think I might need you to refresh my memory of what we did, my dearest.” 

A laugh burst from her lips, and a warm feeling spread from her heart to the rest of her body. 

Swinging her leg over his body so she was straddling him, she leaned down to connect their lips, her tongue slipping inside his mouth as if instinct. 

“I think I just might.”


End file.
